STRAYDOG blog

Considering a Rebrand?

Rebranding your business can be a challenging yet rewarding process, and to be successful it must be done with strategy — best managed by a professional branding agency.

At certain times business’ will reach the waypoint known as “the rebrand.” This occurrence may come about early on once the business discovers who they really are, or later when the business has outgrown their brand.

As your business grows and transforms, perhaps expanding into new markets, it is vital that your brand reflects the positive changes taking place. A brand is a promise, and if your brand doesn’t accurately reflect its offering, potential customers could be deterred or disappointed.

More than Visual Rebranding

A common mistake is to view the rebranding process and its outcomes as a series of logo changes or marketing shifts. This is an immediate rebranding FAIL. A brand is much more than a logo or a tagline. A brand is a multitude of tangible and intangible elements which add up to create a positive or negative brand experience.

Apparent change, like a new logo or name, is often just the tip of the iceberg. The logo is a key ambassador to the brand, but for the logo to be effective it must communicate a deeper meaning. A true rebranding process involves analyzing the foundation and core of who the business is. We must gain clarity around the business’ vision and goals, current challenges, stakeholder feedback, operating procedures, market position and competitive landscape.

Only through these key findings can we work to develop a rebranding strategy.

Rebranding Strategy

At this stage the guesswork has been removed, through sound planning and analysis. Here we distill our findings to support the Rebranding Strategy Document. The rebranding strategy will encapsulate particulars about the brand that must change and also designates things that should remain the same.

Rebranding Execution

We believe our branding agency’s comprehensive approach allows us execute a holistic rebranding program from end-to-end, with the continuity and consistency vital to a rebrand.

Executing the rebranding strategy means aligning the company’s purpose with its customers’ expectations. A this stage we will; enhance the brand personality, tell the brand story through visual aspects, adapt communications to better reflect products or services, and work through the strategic messaging platform for all corporate communications.

Ditching the old brand, for good.

As a professional branding agency, we can only take you so far and then it’s up to you.

During the re-branding process, there will be some state of limbo when the old isn’t quite gone, but the new hasn’t yet taken root. We’re often surprised to watch businesses who’ve supposedly rebranded, but whom are still using some of the old graphics, communication material or brand logo.

If you are rebranding it means that your old brand is no longer viable. Part of a successful rebrand is a commitment to the new brand and a consistency moving forward. You’ve taken the time to think about your objectives, get everyone involved and invest in professional branding experts — don’t let your efforts fall to the wayside.

It is also critical to remember that your brand doesn’t live in one department – it spans the entire organization and must be supported by all.

Why Choose a Rebranding Agency

The reality of rebranding is, we as branding experts grow your brand which grows your sales and strengthen customer relationships. Growing a brand is a carefully developed strategic process that drives a brand to be established in the marketplace and hedges the brand against market fluctuations and competitors.

Why rebrand your company?

To differentiate from your competitors & stand out from the crowd.

To unify a common goal or promise across the brand.

To disassociate with a negative brand image.

To refine your brand offering, product or service.

To recover or regain clients from a specific target market.

To refresh a dated Brand Identity, to bring the company into the current expectations.

Is your business is ready for a Rebrand

As branding experts we believe it’s critical to consider these principles and decide if your business should rebrand.

Rebranding is more than a facelift – it’s a deeper change in a company’s philosophy and culture as such it often requires an intensive commitment of 6–12 months.

Objectivity often requires insight and experience from a professional branding agency, without one you’re likely to only scratch the surface. You need to do your research and choose a professional branding agency with solid rebranding experience.

A rebrand requires mastery of execution which is paramount to producing results. You’ll need to allocate the appropriate resources to effectively accomplish a rebrand.

Rebranding can involve a significant financial investment depending on the business size, stakeholders involved. You’re commitment to the rebrand should not fall short because of the financial investment required to do it properly.